1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of communication systems, and in particular, to a broadband wireless communication system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, wireless communications solved problems of time and cost expense in providing telecommunication services to the end user. However, a wireless solution traditionally has been limited to specific service applications such as radio broadcast or wireless telephony. Both wired and wireless capacity would be allocated based on the traffic patterns. Spectral bearer channel allocations would be rearranged based on a demand pattern matched to traffic patterns. The numerous delivery requirements of different telecommunication services make providing a host of services over wireless communications a difficult task. Recently with the proliferation of the Internet, new types of communications have been added to the array of communication services offered to consumers. Relatively new Internet applications such as web browsing, chat rooms, and PUSH technology have joined e-mail and bulletin boards as conventional communication services.
With each new communication service, a new challenge arises due to a new set of delivery requirements that usually differ from delivery requirements of other communication services. The delivery requirements describe the characteristics which control how communication services are provided to the consumer. Certain services such as video and audio are time dependent, while e-mail and text are not. Telephone conversations and web browsing require delivery in real time, while video mail can be observed at a later point. Another delivery requirement is quality of service. Voice communications can have some errors or static and still be understood by the listener. On the other hand, downloading a computer program must be error free. Other delivery requirements include traffic pattern, bandwidth, priority, and grade of service. New communication services will bring about needs for new kinds of delivery requirements.
Providing a wired solution to every residence and business can be costly and time consuming. Also, current wired solutions may not have the speed and capacity to handle new communication services. For example, the emergence of the Internet and more specifically the World Wide Web has brought about the need for dedicated computer lines such as ISDN lines in order to bypass speed and capacity restrictions of telephone lines. Telephone lines could support new video cameras linked to people's Internet home pages, but the result would be too slow. Other wired solutions could use current cable wires in residential homes, but cable companies may be reluctant to enter new markets by offering a host of communication services for various business reasons.